Sunday 21 August 2016

Saint Maurice Cathedral,Angers



On our recent trip up to Brittany one of the stops we made was in Angers where we took a fresh look at the  (12th/13th century) Gothic/Romanesque cathedral of Saint-Maurice. The rather imposing, though unusually narrow, building is best approached from the fountain down by the river.It's a bit of a climb but well worth it!


Love the not-uncommon differences in the towers...


and the detail on the façade.



The narrowness of the cathedral - there are no side aisles - is contradicted by the unusually wide Romanesque nave.


There is a fabulous 'Baroque' central altar...



with a colourful backdrop of stained glass in the apse. The transept was a later addition (15th century) to the cathedral with both north and south featuring a delightful rose window and ornate altar. 







The neo-Gothic styled pulpit (mid 19th century) was the result of a 3 year project by a very talented member of the clergy... 



you can't help but admire his attention to detail.


The stalls in the south transept also display some fine carvings but not nearly as elaborate as the magnificent  gallery organ which towers above the main entrance.







The rose window south transept's rose widow vied fro the outside of the cathedral.


 This charming, rather primitive statue sits under an arch on the south side of the exterior. 


The apse of the cathedral viewed from Place Sainte-Croix.

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